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SB 1643

PROP TX-SENIOR FREEZE

104th Regular Session Introduced by Chris Balkema and 2 co-sponsors

Indexes the income limit for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze to CPI-U annually from 2025, keeping 65+ homeowners with modest income eligible as prices rise.

Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Sally J. Turner
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Bill Summary · SB 1643

SB 1643 — Property Tax: Low‑Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze (PROP TX‑SENIOR FREEZE)

Status: Introduced Feb 25, 2025; Added co‑sponsor Sen. Sally J. Turner (Aug 5, 2025). Primary sponsor: Sen. Sue Rezin. Companion: HB 1387. Effective: immediately; applies beginning taxable year 2025.

Purpose / Intent

To make the income eligibility threshold for Illinois’s Low‑Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (35 ILCS 200/15‑172) inflation‑responsive by indexing the maximum household income limitation to annual changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI‑U). The change is intended to maintain the real value of the income cutoff so eligible seniors are not excluded due to inflation.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 15‑172 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/15‑172).
  • For taxable year 2025 and thereafter, the “maximum income limitation” used to determine eligibility for the low‑income senior assessment freeze is increased each year by the percentage change, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI‑U) for the 12‑month period specified by the statute (as used by the Department of Labor / BLS).
  • Leaves intact the statute’s prior schedule of nominal dollar limits for earlier years (historical amounts are retained through 2024).
  • Preserves existing alternative presumptions of eligibility for applicants enrolled in certain public assistance programs (e.g., AABD, SNAP, LIHEAP, Benefit Access, Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral), and existing verification and administrative procedures by county assessment officers.

Who/what is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: homeowners aged 65 or older who qualify for the Low‑Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption — increases the likelihood that seniors with modest income rises remain eligible.
  • County assessors/chief county assessment officers: responsible for administering the exemption, verifying eligibility, and applying the updated income limit.
  • Local taxing districts: may experience incremental reductions in property tax levies/collections if more parcels qualify for the freeze.
  • State/local fiscal outlook: potential modest fiscal impact due to increased exemption uptake; the bill does not create a state reimbursement mechanism.

Timeline / Implementation

  • Applies beginning with taxable year 2025 (text specifies the change takes effect immediately).
  • Each year thereafter the maximum income limit is adjusted upward based on the prior year’s CPI‑U percentage change as specified in statute.

Fiscal and policy considerations

  • Indexing the limit to inflation preserves program reach but likely expands eligibility over time, increasing the number of exempted parcels and lowering taxable assessed value in affected jurisdictions.
  • The magnitude of fiscal impact depends on future CPI inflation and the number of low‑income senior households near the prior cutoff; no cost estimates are included in the bill text.

Sponsors and procedure

  • Sponsors: Sen. Sue Rezin (primary); multiple cosponsors listed; companion bill HB 1387.
  • Statutory target: 35 ILCS 200/15‑172 (Property Tax Code — Low‑Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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